Steam Weekly Sale Roundup: 16/03/15

Quite a small and unassuming sale this week though there are always a number of gems if you look close enough. Apologies for missing the last week’s roundup; it’s quite possible I totally forgot I was running a new feature! Here are my highlights of the reductions for the week beginning Monday the 16th of March.

I’m not sure I’ve ever played a bad Metroidvania game really. Maybe it’s down to the sheer scope of the project putting off less skilled developers but generally they’re pretty entertaining. Shantae is way up there for me as one of the best in the genre excluding the two aformentioned series used to create the portmanteau. Porting over from the GBA, it brings all the chunky goodness of the pixelly sprites without skimping on the size of the adventure. For the price, you get a lengthy journey with secrets and character galore plus with the sequel on its way, now is a great time to get to know the story.

Another port to PC on sale today is the uber-tough swivel avoidance game Pivvot. It might seem hard to recommend something that still makes my teeth grate when I think of it but Pivvot is a masterpiece in fusing addiction with satisfaction. Comprising only two input options, you swing your character(?) on an axis hoping to avoid a variety of obstacles that resemble a rhythm platformer in an odd fashion. Short but unavoidably replayable so it’s pretty decent value for money too. Unforgettable in design and practice.

It’s not the biggest sale but it is the first it’s had so it’s worth a mention, especially considering the recent reduction on its original RRP. Rock Band/Amplitude developers Harmonix created A City Sleeps to bond shmups with rhythm and the result is very interesting though divisive. It looks stunning as you navigate the skylines and projectiles while the soundtrack adds depth in every sense of the word. I recommend watching a few Lets Plays of this one as it’s remarkably creative.Requires a controller, so please don’t purchase it if you don’t have one.